Celtic Myth meets the modern age in the new (2005) CD from Emerald Rose. With themes as diverse as the Muse of Astronomers, dancing rats, and evolution, the CD is quite a ride! Performer Magazine (2006) says: "...hauntingly beautiful poetic lyrics ...a solid and fluid arrangement...musical veterans reaching for the path of musical legends."

A song about the ancient Greek muse of astronomers, and a man who falls in love with the sky...

Lyrics

Urania Sings

Urania waits in the cold of space
tempts astronmers from their sleep
teaches things beyond the reach of human ken
gives them answers in their dreams
Tide and Time are her lovers
and her heart is a star
she calls the mind to mystery
I heed her call each night at the setting of the sun
learn the song that the heavens sing

when Urania sings she opens up my mind
Urania sings of the mysteries of space and time
she sings, and the heavens open wide
Urania sings and the Universe is mine
when Urania sings

they say astronmers in the ancient days
spent their nights with a beautiful Muse
dark as space are the tresses of her night-black hair
and on her brow the crescent moon
stars join in on the chorus
and she wakes me up at night
with her celestial symphony
I call her name on the essence of a night-long prayer
she shows me secrets in her wings

when Urania sings... (chorus)

Urania calls in the dark of night
lures astronomers from their beds
teaches things that they can never understand
puts strange questions in their heads
I'll never be afraid of the dark again
she's got that moonlight in her eyes
she likes to wear her stardust party dress
she takes me dancing in the skies
when Urania sings... (chorus)

From the Welsh Mabinogian. Gwydion's foster-son Lleu Llau Gyffes (sure-handed Lleu) has been wounded by a magic spear, transformed into an eagle, and has flown far away. Gwydion searches in vain, until he follows a huge sow to the base of a giant oak tree

Derwen a dyf dan lechwedd
Noddfa tywysog hardd
Oni ddywedaf i gelwydd
Fe ddaw Lleu i'm hharffed
Oak that grows between two wells
You darken the sky, you shade the dells
Unless I speak not the truth, here lies the harm
The scattered flesh of Lleu

Oak that grows on a lofty plain
unburnt by fire, unwet by rain
nourished by storms with twenty charms
Sure-handed Lleu

Oak that grows beneath the steep
Noblest of the princes keep
Unless I speak not the truth, then from your arms
and into mine, will fall Lleu

Musically, sort of Blue Oyster Cult meets Talking Heads -- a bit of world percussion on the bridge. Lyrically, humorous with a serious sociopolitical note about evolution vs. creation. This song was a big performance hit at the most recent Dragon*Con sci-

Story Behind the Song

This song has been around as a concept for 15 or more years, ever since Brian was kicked out of his family home for "believing in evolution." (He is a professional anthropologist). Larry filled in many of the lyrics based on science readings, and we compo

Lyrics

A man named Darwin ? had a revelation
He said all life evolved from the confusion
He had a theory. It made some people nervous
When he came to the? embarrasing conclusion

We come from monkeys. We?re not so special.
We?ve only got?a little extra DNA
The chimpanzees?are very close to us
Australopithecus? He?s not so far away

[Chorus]
We come from monkeys, swingin in the trees
A little bit of monkey inside you and me
Monkey in the middle monkey on your back
It?s a fundamental problem but a scientific fact
We come from monkeys

The feeble minded? said creation was the answer
They got upset?their nose got outta joint
They say we?re missing?the monkey in the middle
They?re picking nits?it kinda proves the point

You?re not so hairy. You haven?t got a tail
You?re not adapted ? for living in a tree
But if you care ? to count up all your chromosomes
You?re ninety eight point four percent a chimpanzee

[Chorus]

Double helix monkey bars, feel the primal beat
Six million years we been walkin? on our feet
A barrel full of monkeys, swingin? from the family tree?

We don?t wanna start a social revolution
we just wanna talk about some monkey evolution
But the knuckle-draggin? stool-flingin? fools just
don?t wanna see

We come from monkeys?

If you can?t handle? the thought of evolution
You might just call it? intelligent design
But if the universe? keeps on evolving
Then maybe you should just evolve a bigger mind

A story song about waking up one night to discover that a horde of rats are having a ceili-style music and dance party in your kitchen. Yes, it's surreal. The music is reminiscent of Jethro Tull.

Story Behind the Song

This was an Arthur Hinds song inspired by a dream he had (after eating Bleu cheese just before bedtime, he claims) - Larry helped modify and flesh out some lyrics. The original tune was straight folk, but it evolved a more Tull-like sound as we developed

Lyrics

DANCE OF THE RATS
Words and music by Arthur Hinds and Larry Morris

I awoke one night with nature's call
Out of the bedroom and into the hall
Looked in the kitchen, still half asleep
My gut clenched in terror, icy and deep

Twenty some rats were out on the floor
Four on the table, two by the door
I stared in shock while they struck up the band
Formed into lines at their caller's command

(chorus)
Round and round, the rats they danced
On tiny feet they leapt and pranced
With vermin grace and rodent skill
The dance of the rats-- what a thrill!

They wore little hats and wee little shoes
Greatcoats and dresses of green and blue
They waltzed and tangoed and polkaed with glee
Lost in their revels, they quite ignored me

Up on the table were musicians four
With soul and with skill they commanded the floor
With tiny guitars and a fiddle so small
It could only be played at a Rodentia ball

Chorus

I woke with a start, no music was playin
Ran to my kitchen, a-gaspin and praying
No rats there to greet me, but amongst all the clutter
Was a tiny glass slipper right next to the butter...

Dreamy, lyrical ballad with whistle and echoing guitars, with an obscure but thoughtful lyric about the fear and joy surronding initiation and change.

Story Behind the Song

Arthur has had this song for about 10 years now, and we recorded an early version of this on our demo CD, "Emerald Rose." The MP3 of that song, to our surprise, reached #1 on the mp3.com "goth" charts! This is a newer, guitar-enhanced version that we feel

Lyrics

DAGGER OF THE MOON
words and music by Arthur Hinds

Is there a song that invests the stone
Of cavern and spring and mound
With its cadence in starlight
The blistered palm holding its tune

And would you still stand
Ear cocked, alone
With the baying of blood-eared hounds
Suffer facing the serpent's bite
And the dagger of the moon

Sing the heart of water
Shape the dun clay
See the fire
Think on the wind
Spread your wings and fly
Let the mirror call you
Touch her doorway
And know desire
But open it not
Lest you surely die

Come hear the craft of the cauldron crone
And dance in his secret round
On cloven step, the circle spoke
On salted sands and tidal runes

And hear you a song the enchants the stone
Of dolmen and ringèd mound
Beyond the cloth of astral smoke
Without the strident clockwright's tune
Open your eye and then invoke
The dagger of the moon

From the Welsh Mabinogion, the final hours together of Lleu and Blodeuwedd, before her mythical betrayal.

Story Behind the Song

A poem from Arthur, which was partnered with music from Logan and whistle by Larry, arranged by the band with harmonies.

Lyrics

FOR BLODEUWEDD
Music by Logan Sullivan/words by Arthur Hinds

The crimson sun
dapples the green
leaf and bloom
before me play

Standing alone
I'm half unseen
half unfilled
at dawn of day

Then from the earth
You rise in splendor
source of passion
balance and flame

Both Sun and sky
And I surrender
at your feet my
shield and name.

Before the twilight falls
You and I are bright and green
Before the future calls
You and I stand in between
Fear is a prison, doubt is a wall
kiss me before the twilight falls
Before the twilight falls
Before the twilight falls

Dance of meadow
feathers beating
sing forever
the spiral tune

Live the moment
now is fleeting
join me here
our path is hewn

So stand with me
through joy and tears
testing honor
that holds you thrall

Come take my hand
I take your fears
one last kiss
ere twilight falls

Before the twilight falls
You and I are bright and green
Before the future calls
You and I stand in between
Fear is a prison, doubt is a wall
kiss me before the twilight falls
Before the twilight falls
Before the twilight falls

A song about the love for water and its healing effect on the human spirit.

Lyrics

TAKE ME DOWN (TO HER WATER)
words and music by Arthur Hinds

you can see her, great mother ocean
lying placid under sunrise or whitecapped under storm
you will find her in that emotion
that arises in the shallows where she keeps you safe and warm
In her eyes the horizon distant where desire meets the sky
let arise the voice insistent, raise your hands to her and cry

take me down to her water
take me down to her water
take me down ... take me down
and let her fill me up

and you will see her, great goddess river
in a thousand flowing silver strands and each one bears her name
she is a shaper, she is a giver,
and if you ever touch that loving pulse, you never will be the same
reach out your hands and feel the flow and the cleansing on your skin
hear the ripple, its whispers know, of the stream that lies within

(chorus)

you can see her, great lake mother, she's a pool of living blue
you can sing of life to each other, she will teach the words to you
she's a song of love, she's a voice of life,
she's a refuge from heartache and strife
and when the angry world batters my soul,
there's only one way I can rebuild myself
find my center and fill up my life

Jack Frost, Jack Green, Jack Corn, and Jack Lantern all make their presence known throughout the year's seasons. This song talks of drawing strength from the mythical Jack.

Story Behind the Song

Arthur was inspired by an article he read some years ago about the many faces of "Jack" throughout mythology and culture. We set this to a bit more heavy guitar rock sound than usual for us, and we like the high-energy result.

Lyrics

FOUR JACKS
Words and music by Arthur Hinds

When mother is aslumbering beneath her shawl of white
And you wrap your cloak against the wind but still you feel its bite
With many mouths at home to feed this deer must not be lost
When you thank the prey and let the arrow fly
You become Jack frost.

When the maiden slips her samite cloak revealing lilac breasts
And the rising sun climbing high in the sky calls acorns to their quest
When hoof trod earth surrenders to seed and the meadowsweet is queen
When you step the jig of furrow and plow
You celebrate Jack Green

When summer oak green wanes scarlet and brown and a carpet of leaves is laid
Mother's kiss has charged the land and staghorns drape the glade
The fields are tall with sacrifice for springtimes still unborn
Raise the crescent high, cut down the grain
and call upon Jack Corn

Chorus

When the riddled fields are gathered and gleaned from the shadow of a killing freeze
And twilights fall to copper moons that dance with barren trees
When comes the final harvest home beneath the silver light
When weary feet tread that dusky road
Jack Lantern walks the night

Chorus

I'm no tawny hunter, no tiller of barley seed
I've never threshed a stalk of wheat but I've still a family to feed
When I feel whelmed over with provider on my back
I tilt my head back, howl his howl
smile his secret grin
and call on Jack
callin' on Jack
I'm callin' on Jack